The sandwich business in the United States currently stands at $120 billion a year — and it’s still growing. But even that lofty figure — from Foodservice and Retail Market and Trends from Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD — is just part of the potentially lucrative story, which is even larger when you include the add-ons.
“There’s $200 billion in lunch money up for grabs,” says Don Hall, president of the Professional Series division at Kingston, NY-based M&E Manufacturing, makers of slicing equipment. That’s the inviting part of the story. The sobering part is that getting a bigger piece of the sandwich pie won’t be easy because quick-service restaurants and convenience stores provide serious competition.
The deli is not about to match McDonald’s on price or beat Subway on convenience. But it can offer the inviting aroma of fresh-baked artisan breads, which Burger King will never match. And Quiznos isn’t likely to begin offering deli standards such as Black Forest ham with fresh Bleu cheese-stuffed olives on the side.
The deli is well positioned to offer superior sandwiches made with superior ingredients. From the bread to the meat to all the cheeses, sauces and vegetables in between, the deli is uniquely positioned to offer the highest-quality sandwich ingredients.
“The consumer is looking for variety and choice. But what is most important is that a sandwich program uses premium deli products. Today’s consumer knows the difference,” says Louis Eni, president & CEO of Dietz & Watson, Philadelphia. PA.
The ingredients available in the deli make it possible to put together a sandwich program whose quality the competition can’t match, and the varieties of those ingredients make it possible to be bold and innovative.
“Grab something different for a change,” suggests Michael Girkout, president, Alvarado Street Bakery, Petaluma, CA. “Sure, you need to have Cheddar, Swiss, and American — but there are so many opportunities to be different from your competitors. Why not offer a ‘Cheese of the Day’ program? Encourage your customers to try different varieties by featuring something different each day. Do you have a vegetarian selection? How about vegan?”
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Deli Business